What was it like when you first went to Disney World?

[stratman50th]

Some of us, me included do a lot of about what WDW is now and all the problems we find with it. There was a thread a bit ago on value for the price. I posted but was thinking as the thread got longer that for me at least value was the wrong word. More what do you get out of it, and is it worth paying for what you are getting. On an emotional level. I think to answer we probably need to go back to our first trips and what they were like and how they made us feel. Let's hear your story. At least it will give you a chance to write about what it was like before and maybe why you don't think it gives you that "magical feeling" any longer.
My first trip was in 1976 and I was 16. I stayed in the campground. I don't remember that much about it except the only thing there was the Magic Kingdom and River Country.

Our normal trip was always the same. We lived in Maryland and would drive down. Leave on Friday morning, stop for the night in GA. and be on property before noon on Saturday.
In 1989 we went as a family, My parents, my wife and I, my sister, her husband and toddler son. We stayed at the Tree House Villas. They were very cool. I don't recall if there were park tickets then, or they still had ticket books, but we were on the move every day at the crack of dawn-Park Commandos! We saw the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and the brand new MGM studios! We went over to Downtown Disney and ate at Fulton's (or whatever it was called back then) and saw a show at the comedy club. It really was magical and the whole trip had the jaw drop leave you with the urge to get back again as soon as possible! That was the beginning of our yearly trips. After a few killer years we started to slow down. We knew what we could see and skip. That was the beginning of the length of stay park hoppers. From that point forward became the relaxing years. We no longer went from rope drop to the end of EMH at 1:00am in the Magic Kingdom. More time enjoying the resort and not feeling bad about not spending as much time in the parks. There's more as we ended up going over 30+ times over the years.
Please write about your early days, before you became disheartened and unhappy about the way things have turned out. I'm curious how many have walked the same path as me. I'll probably be adding stuff as I read and my memory gets jogged. Not particularly looking for the problems now, but why and when there was magic for you and what it was.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I'm probably not your target poster lol.
I first wen in 1985 in the womb and then every year between 1988 and 1996 then skipped 1997 (bad year in general for me and my family) then went each year from 1998 through 2004.
2006 was the first time I went without my parents and since then I've been going every year and soemtimes 2-3 times per year.

As a child the parks were much different because it was from a child's prespective.
I loved it and it was just part of who we were as a family since we went nearly every year.
As an adult my passion has just continued to grow partly because it takes me out of the craziness that is our reality.

I'm one who believes that you need to roll with the punches or stop going.
There are things that have changed that I don't like and things that have changed that I do like.
Clearly to me the pros outweigh the cons and I find plenty of value in what I pay for from rides, to shows, to food, to hotels.

 

[Tuvalu]

Here’s mine.

Trip Report - It Began Here ~ Magic Kingdom, July 1972 *COMPLETED*

The title says it all....my love for Walt Disney World began with my very first visit a mere 9 months after the Magic Kingdom opened its gates. My grandparents had recently moved to Florida and we made the long drive from New England to spend a week with them. During that week we would get to...

forums.wdwmagic.com

Went several more times in the 70s and 80s, and every year (some multiple times) since 1993. I’ve been an out-of-state AP holder since 1996. While I believe the “golden years” of WDW are over, I will continue to visit until the hassle, crowds and continued price increases make WDW vacations no longer fun for me. I never thought that would ever happen, but sadly I see it as a real possibility now.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Disney was larger than life. A different era. No social media, no internet, no "daily updates". If you were lucky you had a 30 minute VHS you could play over and over 200 times before the trip. When you got there - there were no cell phones, no judging based on other's opinions.

It was mystical, a place of legend........now I can just pop on youtube and see TimTracker detailing food options at around WS for F&W. Not that that is necessarily bad...just different.

 

[Vacationeer]

I don't come from a Disney family. My first visit was with sister and nieces for a day in MK while we were all down vacationing in Florida. It was great taking the kids but nothing extraordinary. I didn't get it at that point.

A decade later my child was born and somehow WDW got our email address. With a great offer in hand we booked a trip when he was 2, and returned the next year as well. Years go quick and he turned 11 by the time we decided to hurry back on another trip before he got too old. THAT trip was the kool-aid. We allowed ourselves to be immersed. We shut off the whole world and took in everything Disney has to offer. The people, the rides, the shows, foods, atmospheres, nooks and cranies and the 500+ different experiences that are on offer to choose from as you desire. We soaked it up and let it lift us.

The exact moment we turned into a WDW family was our last day of that trip. At HS we got a text our flight was delayed 2 hrs. We're standing over in a corner of HS discussing how great this trip was and now we have 2 more hours to play. We all gave a hug and a tear ran down both my face and my 11 year old son. A tear of happiness. A tighter hug. Life is good. We've been back at least once a year since.

Wish I would've gotten it sooner. I'd been going to Florida for decades without going to WDW and that's a lot of lost opportunity!

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

When my mom got this book it was my first look into this amazing place...I'm wanting to get my hands on another copy of it and to this day it takes me back to my first time coming when Epcot was in it's infancy..

 

[Ricky Spanish]

My first trip to WDW was in '86.
Went with a buddy of mine during Easter break.
I was 16 and paid my own way.
3 days on "the big red boat" and 4 days at Disney.
Heinekens and Mai tais on the boat thanks to "no drinking age on international waters".
Stayed on International Dr.
Rented a car to get around (don't ask how).
Met a bunch of girls.
Had alot of fun at Disney, too.
My mom still yells at me to this day, b/c she thought I was going with my buddy's family.
He told his parents the same.

 

[Heppenheimer]

I was one. I don't remember a thing.

 

[John park hopper]

First visit May 1972 only park MK it was uncrowded, hospital clean, not expensive

 

[stratman50th]

Thanks to all who have responded so far. To be clear, no judgement one way or the other from me. Curious as to the story when you started going and how long it's been.

 

[JIMINYCR]

It was a dream come true. Everything blew me away. It was the best trip I ever took in my life and I couldnt find anything to complain about. The crowds were low, the lines were light, we got to do every attraction multiple times, visited every park twice. The park was pristine, nothing out of place. We stayed at the Poly and was thrilled with the atmosphere and theming that surrounded us. The CM's were extremely kind and helpful to our family who were at that time trying to adjust to a new life with my DW in a wheel chair. Because we had such a fantastic time we decided WDW was going to be our primary spot to vacation from that point on.

 

[JusticeDisney]

Here’s mine.

Trip Report - It Began Here ~ Magic Kingdom, July 1972 *COMPLETED*

The title says it all....my love for Walt Disney World began with my very first visit a mere 9 months after the Magic Kingdom opened its gates. My grandparents had recently moved to Florida and we made the long drive from New England to spend a week with them. During that week we would get to...

forums.wdwmagic.com

Went several more times in the 70s and 80s, and every year (some multiple times) since 1993. I’ve been an out-of-state AP holder since 1996. While I believe the “golden years” of WDW are over, I will continue to visit until the hassle, crowds and continued price increases make WDW vacations no longer fun for me. I never thought that would ever happen, but sadly I see it as a real possibility now.

I hate to read that last part of your post. I hope that never happens for you.

 

[thomas998]

Would have been back in the 70's when they were still using tickets for the rides. I don't remember the rides as much as I remember seeing things for sale in the shops that I had never seen before. I remember they had toy cars that I hadn't seen in the stores back home. I talked my parents into getting me a toy dragster made by Corgi that I thought was the coolest toy car I had ever seen as it was more detailed and larger than the Matchbox and Hot Wheels that I was used to seeing back home. And that is what to me has changed the most... That toy wasn't a car from a Disney movie, it was just a high quality toy that was on a different level than the character tie in garbage you get today. I remember when we went to DL as a kid they had a music box for sale that was very large and looked like the taj mahal and played lots of different songs, it was insanely expensive but very cool and had no real connection to any Disney movie it was just something that fit made sense for the part of DL where the store was located. Today if you were to see anything even close to it, you could be certain it would be a reproduction of the Castle... if Disney dared to ever offer higher end toy cars like Corgi then they would all be Cars characters. The magic was in the place not being so overly Disnefied. They didn't build a shop in Adventureland to see how much Captain Jack merchandise they could fill it with they built one that had stuff that simply represented the theme of the land. I tried to explain it to my kids, and that once upon a time you didn't exit a ride and end up in a shop selling merchandise tied to the ride you were just on... that shops were more like cool boutiques you would find at a high end mall..... so for me it wasn't about the rides, it was about the shops.

 

[Simba’s Mom]

My first visit was in 1987 and the biggest thing I remember was the "randomness" of seeing characters. I remember one time, seeing Goofy start to head out from the Town Hall area of the Magic Kingdom. Just as he rounded the corner, he spied another Goofy and made a quick turn-around to get off-stage. I remember thinking that I hope no kids saw him, including my own, who were 4 and 7 at the time. I also remember that my 4 yo ran up to every character he saw for a big hug, even if the character was in the process of getting their picture taken with another family. So, if you were there in 1987, you might accidentally have a picture of my son-I apologize!

 

[Railfan Andrew]

First visit was in December 2001 I believe. I don't really remember much. My first visit to EPCOT was in 2005 or 2006. I thought it had just opened as I had never been there before. Went on the original Test Track and Figment that day (The blast part of Figment scared the absolute **** out of me).

 

[Communicora]

When my mom got this book it was my first look into this amazing place...I'm wanting to get my hands on another copy of it and to this day it takes me back to my first time coming when Epcot was in it's infancy..

I recently purchased a 1985 copy of this book! Our first trip was in 1985 and I obsessively reread the Birnbaum book afterward. It's fun and weird to look through it again. It sounds like hyperbole, but visiting EPCOT Center during that time changed my life.

 

[macefamily]

My first trip was in 1995 as a 24 yr old employee of a company that sent me to a software convention at the Doubletree right in front of Universal Studios. I must admit that once I saw the parks, I skipped an entire day of the convention just to take the parks in. Three years later I was married and I had to take my wife to share the magic. We both fell in love with Disney and Universal. Eventually our kids would be taken in by the magic as well. One kid did the College Program while the other bought his own season pass. I believe we have been there 34 times since it all began. Over the years we've seen the crowds grow, attractions closed, and new attractions added. It's still magic to me walking up Main Street. It's the only place I want to be for vacation.

 

[Nottamus]

1998 was the first time - and it was a trip with zero planning, but somehow we managed to do quite a bit, but in reality missed A LOT.
Epcot made a huge impression on me. As did MGM. Animal Kingdom had just opened, but had closed that week for some unseen problem
It was easier to walk on rides...characters were everywhere, and never had any problems walking into a dinner.
and i got to ride xtraterrestrial ride, which I liked. Catastrophe Canyon part of Backstage....another favorite

Well, i met my wife in 2000, and well, I guess i talked about it a lot, until we planned a trip...in 2014.
Turns out, our favorite park is EPCOT...imagine that...and we went 4 times in 2 years, and eventually buying into DVC in 2016.

Sure, it was a different place in 1998...as i'm sure it was in 1988 and before...but every single trip is new to us...we find a way to reconnect, and just enjoy the little things.....walking around EPCOT World Showcase at sunset....

there might be a million people there - but for us, there's only us

 

[correcaminos]

1982 pre-Epcot opening. Very small. Low crowds. Monorail ride to Epcot to see what would be opening later that year. We stayed in a camper at Ft. Wilderness which says something about us LOL

 

[mdcpr]

In 1976, I remember walking up to Mickey and Snow White just to say hi--no lines, no crowds.
In 1983, I remember going to Epcot and skipping MK.
In 1985, I remember it was crowded, lines were a bit long, and we were not feeling the Disney magic.
In 2000, I remember going to Epcot through International Drive and no one even checking if I had a ticket. All I wanted was to walk around. I was also thinking that if I ever had kids, I hope they didn't want to go to WDW.
2019 - first family trip coming up!